conference evaluations: a photograph of a milk carton with a message on the side "MISSING: HAVE YOU SEEN ME?" surrounding an evaluation sheet
Some important metrics for conference evaluations that inform you about crucial aspects of the effectiveness of your meetings.
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #improvements #RatingKPIs #events #eventprofs #assnchat
Scratching the surface: A photograph of my green fluorite crystal from the William Wise Mine in Westmoreland, NH
Sometimes, it's only at the end that we realize we're just scratching the surface. Here's why some meetings end in disappointment—or do they?
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #ComplexProblems #Cynefin #eventprofs #assnchat
Improve meetings by de-emphasizing old-school status: an illustration containing a pyramid made of multiple copies of an icon representing a judging panel of three people, one at a higher level than the other two.
You can improve meetings by de-emphasizing status. Design conferences to replace old-school fixed status with fluid real-time status.
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#meetings #RealTime #status #MeetingDesign #eventprofs
hallway learning: a photograph of a crowd of people talking in the hallway at a meeting. Attribution Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
How to improve our conferences, both in-person and online, by designing hallway learning into our meeting sessions.
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #HallwayLearning #learning #connection #eventprofs #assnchat
Participatory voting introduction: a photograph of a red pill with a ✔︎ underneath it next to a blue pill with an ✖︎ underneath. Red pill blue pill image modified by yours truly, attribution W.carter under CC BY-SA 4.0 license
Participatory voting is useful as a way to obtain early information; a “straw poll” provides public information about viewpoints in the room
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#ParticipatoryVoting #voting #polling #facilitation #DecisionMaking #events #MeetingDesign #eventprofs
Working with both sides: A photograph of The Meeting for the Town/Community Center, Marlboro, VT. Photo by David Holzapfel. I'm the guy wearing a checked shirt.
As a facilitator, working with both sides of an issue with a group can be hard. Doing so challenges me to practice non-attachment.
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#facilitation #moderation #attachment #WinLose #WinWin #MeetingDesign #assnchat
A bar graph of meeting content formats ranked by effectiveness Networking Sessions: Building connections within the community: 22.2%. Practical Workshops: Collaborative learning through hands-on activities: 18.8%. Educational Sessions: Learning together to deepen collective knowledge: 17.9%. Panel Discussions: Engaging in community-driven dialogue on relevant topics: 14.5%. Inspirational Talks: Sharing stories that unite and motivate: 10.6%. Entertainment Segments: Enjoying shared cultural experiences to strengthen community bonds: 9.7%. Product Demonstrations: Exploring new solutions as a community: 6.3%.
To support our peers, prioritize conversations over stories. Here's why events and associations should prioritize interaction.
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#associations #PeerSupport #conferences #MeetingDesign
My Powerful Panels interview with meeting panel doyen Kristin Arnold. We talk about various panel formats and how they make meetings better
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#meetings #panels #MeetingDesign #eventprofs #assnchat
A photo composite image of Clint Eastwood in his role as Blondie "The Good" in the movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", the IMEX America (Las Vegas) 2025 logo, and the title "THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY" with "THE GOOD" emphasized.
My personal “Good” from IMEX America 2025—Part 1—reconnecting with old friends, deep conversations, and joyful moments that remind me why meetings matter.
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#IMEX #IMEXAmerica #EventDesign #MeetingDesign #EventProfs #HumanConnection
The cover of the Convenings 2.0 report prepared for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation by Special D. Events. It includes a color illustration of people convening in a brightly lit meeting space with round tables, small group seating, whiteboards, and audience chairs
Free report! Convenings 2.0: Connecting adult learning, communication strategies, and event logistics to build stronger relationships.
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #report #learning #communication #logistics #relationships #standards #eventprofs #assnchat
A digital illustration of a diverse group of people standing in a circle at a conference. Each person has a translucent thought bubble above their head—some show a lightbulb (representing a want), some a question mark (representing a need), and others both. Fine glowing lines connect several bubbles, suggesting shared interests or mutual discovery. The background depicts a welcoming, modern event space with natural light, coffee tables, and whiteboards. The mood is collaborative, curious, and engaged.
Satisfying wants and needs at meetings is what I do. But there's a subtle interplay between wants and needs at my conferences that isn't obvious.
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#MeetingDesign #Facilitation #eventprofs
becoming brave: an instant photograph of Adrian Segar wearing a wig and makeup, holding out his hands towards the camera, with a red curtain behind him. The photo is labeled in marker "BRAVE".
After unexpectedly taking a four-hour drag queen workshop, I reflect on my fifty-year journey becoming brave.
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#brave #bravery #BecomingBrave #DragQueenWorkshop #Italy #LearningJourney #MeetingDesign
An illustration of atte needs sitting at a conference table reviewing a pair of projected graphs
Want a simple way to improve meeting session learning? Provide a Google doc where participants can take notes, ask questions, & get answers!
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#MeetingDesign #improvement #collaboration #SharedGoogleDoc #tip #eventprofs #assnchat
A photograph of Anca Trifan interviewing Adrian Segar about participant-driven and participation-rich meeting design.
Anca Trifan interviews me, with a focus on my work and thinking about participant-driven and participation-rich meetings and event design.
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#AskMeAnything #AncaTrifan #interview #MeetingDesign #EventDesign #eventprofs
Alexander von Humboldt: Humboldt was revolutionizing the sciences. In September 1828 he invited hundreds of scientists from across Germany and Europe to attend a conference in Berlin.* Unlike previous such events at which scientists had endlessly presented papers about their own work, Humboldt put together a very different programme. Rather than being talked at, he wanted the scientists to talk with each other. There were convivial meals and social outings such as concerts and excursions to the royal menagerie on the Pfaueninsel in Potsdam. Meetings were held among botanical, zoological and fossil collections as well as at the university and the botanical garden. Humboldt encouraged scientists to gather in small groups and across disciplines. He connected the visiting scientists on a more personal level, ensuring that they forged friendships that would foster close networks. He envisioned an interdisciplinary brotherhood of scientists who would exchange and share knowledge. ‘Without a diversity of opinion, the discovery of truth is impossible; he reminded them in his opening speech. *Humboldt organized this conference for the German Association of Naturalists and Physicians. photograph by Martin Sirk.
The German polymath, geographer, naturalist, and explorer Alexander von Humboldt was a meeting designer way ahead of his time!
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#Humboldt #meetings #MeetingDesign #science #history #events #eventprofs
An example of combining facilitation tools—RSQP and dot voting— to solve a challenging meeting design problem.
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#facilitation #meetingdesign #eventprofs #assnchat
A photograph of Adrian Segar, illustrating a podcast "Creating Conferences That Work with Adrian Segar " by Leading Learning. Text: BY JACKIE HARMAN | LAST UPDATED: JANUARY 10, 2021 For almost three decades, Adrian Segar has been designing and facilitating participant-driven and participation-rich meetings. His book, Conferences That Work: Creating Events That People Love, is the how-to manual for stepping outside the realm of the traditional conference model to create peer conferences, which are highly interactive, attendee-driven events that uniquely leverage attendees’ expertise and experience. And his new book, Event Crowdsourcing: Creating Events People Actually Want and Need – available in November 2019 – addresses how to create conference programs that reliably become what your attendees want and need—each and every time.
For an excellent summary of the work I do, check out this interview and podcast, "Creating Conferences That Work" by Celisa Steele of Leading Learning.
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #interview #EventCrowdsourcing #LeadingLearning #Tagoras
A screenshot of my books available for sale on the VitalSource website.
My meeting design ebooks are now available on VitalSource, the largest global supplier of digital course materials to higher education.
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#eventprofs #assnchat #MeetingDesign #education
A representation of two people conversing, emphasizing interaction, heart, and cognition
"Interaction is at the heart of cognition," say 28 scientists. I think they're right—and it's at the heart of events too!
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #interaction #cognition #eventprofs #assnchat
Make the entire conference a braindate. Photograph of two women in front of a stucco wall and a window facing each other and talking.
Instead of paying for an app, use participant-driven and participation-rich design techniques to make your entire conference a braindate!
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #BrainDate #connection #ParticipantDriven #ParticipationRich #eventprofs #assnchat
make meeting bigger
Don't make the meeting bigger! Instead, make the meeting design right. You and your stakeholders will be glad you did.
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #LargeMeetings #status #DesignTrumpsSize #eventprofs #assnchat
flexible meeting space: Image of Apple Campus II floor plan courtesy of Office Snapshots
Two-thirds of meeting planners now rank flexible meeting space as a top priority when choosing a venue. Venues, are you ready?
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#MeetingDesign #VenueDesign #venues #FlexibleSpace #eventprofs
The third way 3 paths: a photograph of an elaborately decorated hall encrusted in gold, with three doorways leading outdoors
In addition to private and public production, social production is the third way to make something happen.
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#MeetingDesign #impact #society #SocialChange #SocialProduction #participation
I've written about keeping meetings on time — here is a novel approach.
#eventprofs #MeetingDesign #MeetingIndustry #meetings #conferences
An illustration of two meetings side by side. On the left, a small group of people chat animatedly. On the right, many more people stand around, hardly talking.
Small is the new big in the meeting industry. Learn why and how smaller, well-designed events foster deeper connections and engagement.
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#MeetingDesign #EventTrends #eventprofs #NetworkingEvents
![The best way to fundamentally improve your dull conference: Photograph of Adrian Segar [back to the camera, purple shirt] facilitating at a Conference That Work. Participants are sitting in a single large circle in a large wood-paneled hall.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lxhifpvgpy2bidzqja6d6wce/bafkreicd7llt7t2rw53czty33yeml7d4bxg6jbab2uxb2z6nyuddsfohhe)
The best way to fundamentally improve your dull conference: Photograph of Adrian Segar [back to the camera, purple shirt] facilitating at a Conference That Work. Participants are sitting in a single large circle in a large wood-paneled hall.
What's the best way to fundamentally improve a dull conference? Facilitate the discovery of interesting people, ideas, and resources!
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #FacilitatingConnection #eventprofs #assnchat
Someone to tell it to. A photograph of two young girls looking at and listening to each other. One has her arm around the other's shoulders.
Someone to tell it to is one of the fundamental needs of human beings. That's why it's important to build conversation into all our meetings.
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#MeetingDesign #listening #connection #conversation #eventprofs
Tired of meetings that don't end on time? Who isn't? Here's how to greatly improve the likelihood you'll stay on time at online meetings.
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#meetings #facilitation #EndingOnTime #solutions #MeetingDesign #SettingExpectations #agendas #eventprofs #assnchat
conferences need to be flexible: photograph of a woman gymnast dressed in black balancing on her hands with her body and legs parallel to the floor
Conferences need to be flexible! Keep them healthy and strong by incorporating participant-driven and participation-rich meeting formats.
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#meetings #MeetingDesign #learning #flexibility #events #eventprofs
Improve meetings by de-emphasizing old-school status: an illustration containing a pyramid made of multiple copies of an icon representing a judging panel of three people, one at a higher level than the other two.
You can improve meetings by de-emphasizing status. Design conferences to replace old-school fixed status with fluid real-time status.
www.conferencesthatwork.com/index.php/ev...
#meetings #RealTime #status #MeetingDesign #eventprofs
